Anthurium plant named ‘Anthucoen’

ABSTRACT

A new  Anthurium  plant particularly distinguished by having durable red-purple spathes that very slowly turn green with age, dark green durable glossy leaves, very rich and early flowering throughout the year, a long erect penduncle, rich shoot formation, a compact and full plant habit and a plant height of 35.0 cm to 45.0 cm, is disclosed.

Genus and species: Anthurium andreanum L.

Variety denomination: ‘Anthucoen’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of Anthurium,botanically known as Anthurium andreanum L., and hereinafter referred toby the variety name ‘Anthucoen’. The new variety originated from ahybridization made in December 2001 in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands. Thefemale parent was the red Anthurium pot plant ‘Anthepedi’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 18,644), while the male parent was the white Anthurium plant‘3644-01’ (unpatented).

A single plant was selected in October 2003 and has been asexuallyreproduced repeatedly by tissue culture in Bleiswijk, The Netherlandsover a five-year period. The new variety has been found to retain itsdistinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this variety were applied for in the EuropeanUnion on Nov. 30, 2007, in Japan on Mar. 9, 2010. ‘Anthucoen’ has notbeen made publicly available or sold anywhere in the world for more thanone year prior to the filing of this application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new variety when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands.

-   -   1) Purple-pink colored medium sized spathe;    -   2) Purple spadix;    -   3) Rich shoot formation; and    -   4) Compact plant habit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new Anthurium plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographswhich show the overall plant habit including blooms, buds and foliage ofthe plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained byconventional photographic procedures. The photographs are of a 48-weekold plant grown in a greenhouse in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands in 2009.

FIG. 1 shows the overall plant habit, including blooms, buds andfoliage.

FIG. 2 is a close-up of the mature spathe.

FIG. 3 shows three spathes at different stages of development, from leftto right: just unfurled, 8 weeks, and approximately 30 weeks.

FIG. 4 shows the upper leaf surfaces: left side, 10 weeks old and rightside, just unfurled.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘Anthucoen’. The data which define thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inBleiswijk, The Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 48-week oldplants which were planted from tissue culture in 17 centimeter pots andgrown in a glass greenhouse between 19° C. and 24° C. Observations weremade in November of 2009. Color readings were taken under 5000 luxnatural light in the greenhouse. Color references are primarily to TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London(R.H.S.) (2001).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Araceae.        -   Botanical.—Anthurium andreanum L.        -   Common name.—Anthurium.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Anthurium plant ‘Anthepedi’ (U.S. Plant Pat.            No. 18,644).        -   Male parent.—Anthurium plant ‘3644-01’ (unpatented).-   Plant:    -   -   Propagation.—Tissue culture.        -   Root description.—Fleshy cream-colored roots with smaller            hairy lateral roots having yellow-colored root tips.        -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—45 to 50 weeks            for a 17 cm pot.        -   Growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Height (measured from soil, including inflorescence).—35.0            cm to 45.0 cm.        -   Width (measured from leaf tips).—40.0 cm to 50.0 cm.-   Leaves:    -   -   Immature leaves.—Length: 4.0 cm to 11.0 cm. Width: 4.0 cm to            7.0 cm. Color: Upper surface: RHS 137A. Lower surface: RHS            137C. Texture: Shiny (on both surfaces).        -   Mature leaves.—Length (fully expanded): 15.0 cm to 18.0 cm.            Width: 10.0 cm to 12.0 cm. Shape: Elliptical-subcordate,            weakly cupped. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Subcordate. Leaf blade            angle with the petiole: Between 120 degrees and 150 degrees.            Leaf margin: Entire. Color: Upper surface: RHS 139A. Lower            surface: RHS 137C. Texture (both surfaces): Shiny, leathery            and thick; not blistered. Venation: Pinnate with protruding            primary and mid-veins at the underside of the leaf blade.            Venation color: Upper surface: RHS 137C. Lower surface: RHS            147C.        -   Lobes.—Arrangement: Leaf blade has two large lobes extending            past the petiole. Length of lobes of mature leaf blades: 1.0            cm to 2.0 cm. Width of lobes of mature leaf blades: 5.0 cm            to 6.0 cm. Distance for petiole/leaf junction to highest            point on lobes of mature leaf blades: 3.5 cm to 4.0 cm.        -   Petiole.—Cross-section: Round. Diameter: 0.3 cm to 0.4 cm.            Length: 10.0 cm to 13.0 cm for a mature leaf size. Color:            Mature leaf: RHS 146B. Immature leaf: RHS 146D. Cataphyl            color surrounding the petiole: Outside: RHS 146D. Inside:            RHS 145C to RHS 146C.        -   Geniculum.—Length: 1.5 to 2.0 cm. Width: 0.4 cm to 0.5 cm.            Color: RHS 146B.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Arrangement.—Single.        -   Flowering habit (length of flowering season).—Continuous.        -   Number of inflorescences per plant.—12 to 16.        -   Fragrance.—Absent.        -   Longevity of inflorescence on plant.—Greater than a year.        -   Longevity of the flower as a cut flower.—Not observed.-   Spathe:    -   -   Buds.—The spathe is tightly rolled around the spadix and            extrudes from the peduncle sheath. After the spathe is fully            opened the peduncle elongates some extra centimeters.        -   Arrangement.—Spathe angle with the peduncle is between 80            degrees and 120 degrees; the spathe stands on a wiry            peduncle about 5.0 cm to 9.0 cm above the foliage.        -   Shape.—Oblong with a flat (not blistered) surface.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Texture.—Shiny; unblistered.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Size.—Height: 18.0 cm to 25.0 cm (Peduncle length at            maturity). Length: 6.0 cm to 10.0 cm. Width: 6.0 cm to 8.0            cm.        -   Color.—Just fully open: Upper surface: RHS 59D with little            amount of green towards the lobes (up to RHS 143A). Lower            surface: RHS 186C with a little amount of green towards the            lobes. At 6 to 8 weeks after opening: Upper surface, RHS            184C and in the lobes at the base RHS 138A; Lower surface:            186C. At 12 to 14 weeks after opening: Upper surface, The            primary color remains RHS 184C in the central part of the            spathe, but the veins in the spathe slowly turn dark and the            amount of green in the spathe slowly increases; Lower            surface, RHS 186C.-   Peduncle:    -   -   Shape.—Erect.        -   Cross-section.—Round.        -   Length.—18.0 cm to 25.0 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.2 cm to 0.4 cm.        -   Color.—RHS 146B at unrolling of spathe, slowly turning RHS            138A when the spathe matures.-   Flowering time:    -   -   General.—One small rooted untreated tissue culture plant of            2 cm tall will flower, depending on season, after 5 to 7            months and 2 to 3 blossoms appear. More blossoms appear            after some additional weeks so that a full flowering            commercial plant will have 12 to 16 purple spathes. Smaller            blossoms may occur on less mature plants.-   Spadix:    -   -   Size.—Length: 2.0 cm to 5.0 cm (depending on flower size).            Width (at apex): 0.4 cm to 0.7 cm. Width (at base): 0.4 cm            to 0.8 cm.        -   Shape.—Columnar.        -   Angle of spadix tip with peduncle.—180 degrees (spadix is in            one line with peduncle).        -   Texture.—When the spathe is unfurling the spadix is smooth.            When the spadix matures, very small stigmata protrude. The            stigmata are evenly distributed round the spadix. The spadix            matures from base to top, slowly giving the spadix a            somewhat rough appearance.        -   Color.—Immature: RHS 182D (no gradient). Mature: RHS 84C.            Ages to: RHS 146A.-   Flowers:    -   -   Quantity per spadix.—200 to 250.        -   Spadix flower arrangement.—Bisexual, rounded in            cross-section.        -   Shape.—Rounded.        -   Size.—Length: 0.1 cm to 0.2 cm. Diameter (maximum): 0.2 cm.        -   Color.—RHS 84C.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—None visible.        -   Pollen.—Sparse.        -   Pollen color.—RHS 156D.        -   Pistil.—Quantity: Many. Length: Less than 0.01 cm. Color:            RHS 84C. Style: None observed. Stigma: Shape: Ovoid.            Diameter: Less than 0.01 cm. Color: RHS 84C. Ovary: Rarely            visible. Ovary color: RHS 155A.-   Fruit and seed set: None observed.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL AND COMMERCIAL VARIETIES

‘Anthucoen’ differs from the female parent and commercial variety‘Anthepedi’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,644), in that ‘Anthucoen’ has purplecolored spathes, whereas ‘Anthepedi’ has red colored spathes.Additionally, the spathes of ‘Anthepedi’ are blistered, whereas thespathes of ‘Anthucoen’ are unblistered.

‘Anthucoen’ differs from the male parent ‘3644-01’ (unpatented), byhaving a purple colored spathe, smaller leaves and more basal branching,whereas ‘3644-01’ has a white spathe.

‘Anthucoen’ is comparable to the commercially available variety ‘PinkChampion’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,115). ‘Anthucoen’ differs from ‘PinkChampion’ in that ‘Anthucoen’ has purple colored spathes, while ‘PinkChampion’ has pink spathes.

TABLE 1 Comparison of characteristics between ‘Anthucoen’, ‘Anthepedi’and ‘Pink Champion’ Characteristic ‘Anthucoen’ ‘Anthepedi’ ‘PinkChampion’ Spathe color RHS 184C RHS 45B RHS 52B Spadix color RHS 84C RHS155A RHS 48B Leaf length 15.0-18.0 cm 17.0-21.0 cm 15.0-18.0 Spatheblistering Absent Present Absent Plant height at 35.0-45.0 cm 35.0-45.0cm 40.0-50.0 cm maturity

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Anthurium plant named‘Anthucoen’ as shown and described herein.